Computex 2014: ASUS PA328Q 60Hz, Professional 4K Panel

You might remember the ASUS PQ321Q 4K monitor from last year that we loved. It was based on an IGZO panel and allowed for 60Hz via one DisplayPort 1.2 cable, running in Multi Stream Transport (MST). At Computex 2014, ASUS announced the PA328Q. This "ProArt" panel ships calibrated and offers 10-bit, 100% sRGB color representation. More interestingly, it supports HDMI 2.0 as well as DisplayPort 1.2, for 4K at 60Hz, apparently over a single cable.

The monitor also has an extra mini DisplayPort connector and two HDMI 1.4 inputs. Also, four (4) USB 3.0 ports and a headphone jack. I guess professionals like high-speed removable storage.

Some points that I would like to see clarified are:

its Adobe RGB coverage (for printer color spaces)

its panel type (I expect IGZO)

and its pricing (and availability)...

I do not know how this fits in to the ASUS product stack, relative to the $3500 PQ321Q. It includes more modern connections and could hit the checkboxes for digital content creation at 4K. Its price might give us an idea about where it stands... or it might just blow our minds, one way or the other. For now, I don't know.

FWIW the panel is almost certainly the AUO M320QAN01, as it's the only 32'' out there afaik. The TN Innolux is 28, the Sharp IGZO is 31.5. Sharp/AUO's recent panels are both pretty close in color these days, around 78% ntsc (105-110% srgb), granted the former rates themselves as such and the later 72%.

The response time is rated at 12ms for that panel. That's probably why it's called a 'professional' model. That is generally market-speak/spin for 'You don't want to game on this'.

I don't really get why AUO can't do better given their tvs are rated at 5.5/6.5ms...these are essentially half of them in both size and response time. It almost leads one to believe these are cut-down leftovers, similarish to how they rate their 1080p panels at 5ms and 8ms, where-as the 8ms are never truly that bad...just a yield measure catch-all.

It's interesting to see the panel types/companies each doing their thing. Sharp is doing IGZO for it's power/bezel/etc properties, AUO seems content with evolving A-SI VA into a very well-rounded 4k option, and innolux...well...is innolux.

(I kid, those TN panels will probably be okay/cheap really quick, and it also seems innolux will have the widest color gamut...90-100% ntsc, or iow rec2020....available before anyone else...but that'll probably be CES 2015 stuff.)

get on the shelves this monster of PA328Q 60Hz for 2015 at a super high price If they want, so that the PQ321Q can drop of a grand or an Half Thousand bucks, so that the average dreamer Joe can buy it!